THE short lived Fenland District Council cabinet career of Councillor Simon King ended abruptly today when he was sacked. It was the first serious test of new leader Alan Melton s resolve to surround himself with those unattached to the previous Cabinet l

THE short lived Fenland District Council cabinet career of Councillor Simon King ended abruptly today when he was sacked.

It was the first serious test of new leader Alan Melton's resolve to surround himself with those unattached to the previous Cabinet led by former leader, Councillor Geoff Harper.

Cllr King, a former chairman of the overview and scrutiny committee, was drafted into the Cabinet last year by Cllr Harper and given the open for business portfolio, which is a key plank of Cllr Melton's policies.

However Cllr King, a district and county councillor from Wisbech, appears not to have won the trust of the new leader and today paid the price for it.

It is the second time in a year that Cllr King has found himself in political hot water after being removed from Wisbech Town Council for non-attendance.

One surprise in today's announcement by Cllr Melton was the appointment to Cabinet for the first time of Elm councillor Phil Webb, who only rejoined Fenland District Council at the last election.

He has since kept a low profile but did enrage many with his outspoken comments during the debate in planning committee over the conversion of the former Queen's Hotel in Wisbech into a hostel for the homeless.

What post he will hold in the new Cabinet has not yet been announced.

Unsurprisingly, Cllr Melton has retained the services of veteran councillor Mac Cotterell as his deputy leader in Cabinet and has given him responsibility for what was termed in today's statement as "special projects".

FENLAND DISTRICT COUNCIL'S NEW CABINET

• Cllr Alan Melton, Leader (Policy and Resources, Finance)

• Cllr Mac Cotterell, Deputy Leader (Special Projects)

• Cllr Kit Owen, Shaping Fenland (Party Whip)

• Cllr Peter Murphy

• Cllr Ken Mayor

• Cllr Steve Garratt

• Cllr Christopher Seaton

• Cllr Phil Webb